BRUNSWICK

As early as 3 a.m. Saturday, Brunswick area students were boarding planes and trains heading to Women’s Marches across the country — part of a global movement that transpired into the largest inauguration protest in American history.

Among these activists were Brunswick High School students and their families, some of whom made the trek to Washington, D.C. to show their support. Kira Wolpow and Rae Bamberger, a senior and sophomore at Brunswick, respectively, bought their tickets to attend the Women’s March on Washington as early as mid- November.

When asked what moved her to board a plane and travel all the way from Brunswick to Washington, Wolpow was quick to respond: “I think it was mainly wanting to be a part of something bigger than ourselves, but also wanting to make the statement that a Trump presidency is unlike anything we’ve ever seen in our government and that it is not going unnoticed.”

Other BHS students marched closer to home. Alexandra Burns, a senior, attended the Women’s March in Portland, part of more than 500 “Sister Marches” around the world that attracted an estimated 5 million participants, according to organizers. Current estimates indicate more than 10,000 marchers took to Portland’s streets to advocate for gender equality, reproductive rights and sustained funding of Planned Parenthood as well as racial and environmental issues concerning Mainers in a Trump administration.

“I feel that as a woman, going to something like this is important, even if you haven’t personally experienced oppression due to your gender,” said Burns.

For Grayson Jones, also a senior, attending the Augusta march was a way to give back to the women in his life.

“I’ve grown up without a dad, so women have always been really big influences on my life,” said Jones. “I wanted to respect that and stand up for them.”

The primary goal of the Women’s March on Washtington, according to the event’s website, was to “send a bold message to our new government on their first day in office, and to the world that women’s rights are human rights.” Another main objective was to unify people across boundaries of race, ethnicity, citizenship and sexual orientation for the advancement of marginalized communities.

Some critics condemned the protests as baseless complaining over a fairly won election. President Donald Trump weighed in with disapproval of Saturday’s events on Sunday morning: “Watched protests yesterday but was under the impression that we just had an election! Why didn’t these people vote? Celebs hurt cause badly.”

The “celebs” Trump referenced included actresses such as Scarlett Johansson and America Ferrera, who spoke in Washington.

Two hours later, he appeared more conciliatory, tweeting that “Peaceful protests are a hallmark of our democracy. Even if I don’t always agree, I recognize the rights of people to express their views.”

The Women’s Marches have already been described as “an extraordinary display of dissent” by the New York Times and likened to past movements including Martin Luther King Jr.’s March on Washington, the Moratorium March to End the War in Vietnam, the Million Man March to highlight the collective power of the African- American community and the 2004 March for Women’s Lives.

Burns said Saturday’s events were a constructive and necessary element of the democratic process. “I viewed it as a moment for women to be recognized and make it clear that we aren’t going to accept the Trump administration’s discriminatory policies,” she said.

“I feel like over these past few months, I have witnessed a lot of negativity, and people are scared or threatened. It was great to see so many people in my community who are willing to go out and counter the negative aspects of a Trump administration,” said Burns.

BHS said Saturday’s events engendered feelings of solitary, unity and hope, but recognize that the next steps are equally important. Already, organizers have created new networks, social media groups, and online resources such as the “10 Actions, 100 Days Campaign” accessible via the Women’s March website and IndivisibleGuide.com to promote continued activism for these issues.

“I don’t see Saturday as the culmination of our outrage,” said Wolpow. “This is definitely only the beginning of something.”

ANNA CALLAHAN is a student at Brunswick High School.